The present invention relates to an applicator which is attached to the end of a hose and aspirates a liquid from a container. Specifically, the present invention relates to a container which is contained within the applicator, where the container is designed to maximize the amount of liquid aspirated or otherwise removed from the container.
Applicators which spray a liquid are well known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,210 discloses a liquid applicator which pressurizes the container by the use of a hand pump. The pressure created in the container forces the liquid through a spray nozzle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,664 discloses a portable sprayer with a resealable closure, a dispensing valve, and a quick disconnecting one-way valve attached to a receptacle. As the container is filled through the one-way valve, the air inside of the container is compressed which pressurizes the sprayer. When the spray nozzle is opened, the pressure inside the container forces the liquid through the spray nozzle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,023 discloses an aspirator type sprayer which is connected to an end of a hose. The sprayer includes a device to vary the dilution ratio of the liquid within a container with that of the liquid transported through the hose. The liquid within the container is aspirated into the liquid within the hose by a suction tube. The container disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,023 has a bottom surface which has a crown shape where the high point of the bottom surface is in the middle of the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,195,664 discloses a hand held sprayer with a flexible pick up tube. The flexible pick up tube is weighted at the distal end of the tube to keep the distal end of the tube immersed in the liquid within the container. By keeping the distal end of the pick up tube immersed, more liquid is capable of being pumped out of the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,940,069 discloses an-aspirated sprayer which is connected to an end of a hose. A suction tube extends into a container which holds the liquid to be applied. The suction tube is located within a sediment trap within the upwardly crowned bottom surface of the container. The sediment trap and two screens in the suction tube prevent the spray nozzle from plugging with particles.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,527,740 discloses an aspirator sprayer which is attached to an end of a hose. The sprayer discloses a linearly actuated valve which is actuated by applying pressure to a lever. A suction tube which aspirates a liquid from a container is located near the edge of the bottom surface. The bottom surface of the container is crowned in the middle and sloped downwardly in all directions to the edge of the bottom surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,100,059 discloses a single valve aspiration type sprayer which is attached to an end of a hose. The unitary valve design provides controlled carrier fluid flow and controlled aspiration of the liquid within the sprayer. When the sprayer is not in use, the unitary valve acts as a seal which confines the liquid within the sprayer container.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,830,235 discloses a hand held sprayer. The sprayer includes a lever to siphon the liquid from a container through a pick up tube. The pick up tube is weighted, and the bottom surface contains legs which bias the pick up tube and the liquid to one side of the container. This configuration allows most of the liquid to be siphoned from the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,273,272 discloses a liquid dispenser with a flexible tube. The flexible tube is weighted such that when the dispenser is tilted, the liquid within the container and the flexible tube are in the same location allowing more liquid to be dispensed from the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,383,603 discloses an aspiration type sprayer which is connected to an end of a hose. The invention disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,383,603 includes a carrier liquid control valve and a rod valve which allows a liquid within a container to be aspirated into the liquid transported through the hose. When the rod valve is shut, the liquid within the container cannot be aspirated into the liquid within the hose.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,750,674 discloses an aspiration type sprayer which is attached to an end of a hose. The sprayer head includes a valve which seals the container from the liquid being transported through the hose when the valve is closed. When the valve is opened, the contents in the container are aspirated into the liquid within the hose.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,391 discloses a portable sprayer. The portable sprayer is pressurized by manipulating an air pump contained within the sprayer. When the spray nozzle is opened, the pressure within the container forces the liquid within the container through the spray nozzle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,470,526 discloses a liquid dispensing container having a sloped bottom wall. A flexible plastic tube extends from a dispensing spout at its upper end to the lowest point of the bottom wall. In one embodiment the lower end of the tube fits loosely into a narrow downward hole in the apex of the bottom wall.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,366,119, 5,154,324, 5,558,252, 5,749,500, 5,062,549 and 5,464,129 disclose liquid dispensers employing containers with bottoms sloped toward the lowermost point. The purpose of these designs is to maximize liquid removal from the containers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,485,942 discloses a liquid dispenser with a container having a sloped handle. The dispenser includes a tube from which liquid within the container is dispensed. An adapter is secured to the container such that the tube can be extracted from and inserted into the container allowing the dispenser to be moveable.
The present invention is a container used with a spraying apparatus which includes a suction tube which aspirates or draws liquid from the container. The container comprises a downwardly sloped bottom surface to form a low point. A distal end of the suction tube cooperates with the downwardly sloped bottom surface such that most of the liquid in the container is aspirated or drawn through the suction tube and applied by the spraying apparatus.
The container may be used in conjunction with a spraying apparatus which is attached to an end of a hose transporting a first liquid wherein the spraying apparatus includes a suction tube which aspirates a second liquid from the container. The container may also be used in conjunction with a spraying apparatus which is attached to the end of a hose transporting compressed gas, such as air. The spraying apparatus includes a tube through which liquid is aspirated from, or forced from the container, by the compressed gas, and applied by the spraying apparatus.
The advantage of the invention is to enable nearly all of the liquid in the container to be applied using the spraying apparatus. Waste is minimized because the liquid can be almost completely used. Potential environmental harm due to the disposal of the unusable portion of liquid from containers incorporated into conventional types of spray apparatuses is minimized.